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This world can be a very broken place filled with heartache, pain, and sickness. So many people around us are fighting battles we cannot see or imagine. October is breast-cancer awareness month, but there are multiple cancers people fight every day. I myself am a cancer survivor. At stage three, my prognosis was a slim 22% chance of survival. This year alone, we have had three family members diagnosed and embark on their own cancer journeys. That is why I want to share with you a couple of personal ways you can help others fight cancer.
01. Sobering moments
It was a very chilly October night. We were sitting in the bleachers at a local high school football game. There was a presentation for breast cancer awareness, and as I sat there I thought of how many people around us were fighting their own forms of cancers.
The announcer asked for people in the audience to stand if they had been diagnosed with any form of cancer. Then he asked people to stand if they had a family member who had been diagnosed. Finally, he asked for people to stand if they personally knew someone who had been diagnosed with cancer. By the end of that presentation, nearly 80% of the audience was standing.
While October is breast cancer awareness month, there are many forms of this terrible disease: Colon cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia, prostate, lung, stomach, brain, esophageal…. I could write a list that went on forever. That is why I want to share with you two opportunities that are very near to my heart.
02. Personal Experience
In 2013 I was diagnosed with stage three bladder cancer. It was in two lymph nodes and I was given a twenty-two percent chance of survival. After undergoing multiple months of aggressive chemotherapy and a life-altering surgery, I am happy to say that I am cancer free. It has been twelve years since my own battle. But so many others don’t get the chance to celebrate life after cancer.
To date I have family members who have battled skin cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, breast cancer, and colon cancer. That is my immediate family alone. I’m sure you have similar statistics.
So, with such sobering statistics, how can you help?
03. Running Away
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancers. They work globally to ensure every child receives life-saving care.
My precious niece wrote and published a book she titled, “Running Away.” In it a brother and sister run away from home and have to face a series of deadly challenges and experience many close calls.
The entire first month of her proceeds she donated to St. Jude. To see her recognize children hurting from this disease and actively look for a way to help is astonishing to me. Even a small child can reach out and help others fight cancer.
If you would like to help her with her donations, she is currently donating half of the proceeds of her book sales to St. Jude. You can click the book cover below, or find her book here. Please consider helping her reach her goal. (Total aside: Tuesday, October 2nd is her 10th birthday…)
04. 62 miles for ACS
As you know, The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, they have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
During the month of October I’m walking 62 miles to help the American Cancer Society fight for a world without cancer. This is a very meaningful cause for me. I will be posting updates on my personal Facebook account so you can see my progress.
There is also an opportunity for you to donate to the cause. The highest amount I can earn for ACS is $250 and that is my goal.
Please consider making a donation because every little bit helps. Thank you for your support! Simply click the image below to be taken to my donation page.
05. Caring for Others
The world is indeed a broken and hurting place. But you have the ability to share your good fortune with others as they fight cancer. Whether it’s through making a small donation to the ACS walk-a-thon, or by purchasing the book, “Running Away,” I want to say thank you.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us raise money to fight cancer and help others going through this horrific experience.
xo, Billie
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